Variation of Axial Ocular Dimensions with Age, Sex, Height, BMI-and Their Relation to Refractive Status

Myopia is one of the most common causes of visual impairment worldwide.It is proved in earlier studies that the eye shape is different in myopic and nonmyopic children even at a very young age, with the former manifesting asymmetric axial globe elongation and the latter global expansion but limited information is available regarding hypermetropia.

To find out the variations of axial ocular dimensions in relation to age, sex, height and to demonstrate any possible correlation of body mass index (BMI) in myopic hypermetropic and emmetropic patients.

It is a cross-sectional observational study.

All the patients attending eye OPD in the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology (R.I.O.), Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India from June2010 to May 2011.Axial dimensions were measured by B-mode USG. Refractive status was measured.Age, gender, height and BMI were also observed. After collecting all the data,all the variables were summarised by descriptive statistics followed by correlation testing by Pearson's Correlation Coefficient r.

Height was positively correlated with axial length, anterior chamber depth, vitreous chamber depth ;age was positively correlated with axial length, vitreous chamber depth and negatively correlated with anterior chamber depth. Subjects with higher BMI tended to had refractions that were more hypermetropic.

The findings of the present study can highlight not only the normal range of the different ocular parameters namely axial length, anterior chamber depth, vitreous chamber depth and lens thickness but their variation with age, gender, height and weight.